I’ve studied the glossary you provided, and here is the translated text based on that:
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“Could it be that there’s nothing left to find in the sea?”
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Although I wasn’t physically tired, mentally I was exhausted. I poked my head above the surface and stretched my arms high.
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“Go, good job.”
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Then Yang Ha-na would tightly grab my hand, pulling me up as if yanking a radish out of the field. With a swoosh, a splash of water would rise as I ascended, and I’d feel my Jelly stretching downward.
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If someone were to take a bite of my Jelly now, wouldn’t it have a full sea scent? A “sea water taste Jelly,” hmm… It’d probably be the worst Jelly no one would ever buy.
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But then again, isn’t the salty potato chip kind of similar…? It might surprisingly be quite popular…
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…Well, it doesn’t matter anyway since I’m not about to sell pieces of my body. These thoughts are meaningless.
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While I was mentally grumbling, Yang Ha-na, who had pulled me up, gently dried me off with a prepared towel. Every time her hands pressed through the towel, it felt… a little strange. Regardless of what gender I originally was (or if it even matters now), I wasn’t used to someone else drying me off.
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Of course, when I used to crawl around and get my teeth pulled, there must’ve been a time for such experiences, but I honestly don’t remember.
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So, unless I’m some noble out of a fantasy novel… I felt awkward and uncomfortable but couldn’t ignore Yang Ha-na’s enthusiasm to help. So I just let her be.
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It wasn’t that I enjoyed the feeling of a girl touching me—it was because I felt sorry seeing Yang Ha-na looking so down.
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After drying off the seawater from my surface, Lee Yoo-jin approached and started shoving food into my body. Since the last time she caught a fish, she’s been consistently preparing something for me, which made me feel a bit touched.
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It felt like she was telling me: “Stop catching fish for me.”
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How much does she hate fish?
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But I’m a good Jelly. I’m not the kind of Jelly who insists on pushing something disliked. Watching the food dissolve and thinking about the sashimi I had recently, it occurred to me that eating the fish whole changed my perspective. The cute pieces of sashimi seemed so bland in comparison.
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Separately, it seems like we can only conclude that Sosik isn’t in the sea.
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I swam around the sea for about a week at inhuman speeds, but found nothing… It would be reasonable to assume he’s not here. Though Sosik is lazy and sleeps a lot, given his earlier behavior, even if he’s not actively trying to return, he’d find me if I were moving around.
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This might also… be too optimistic, but since I didn’t find him, it’s all in the realm of imagination by now.
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Where is that guy, anyway?
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But the frustrating part is that, apart from searching the sea, there’s nothing I can do. Additionally, considering my need to stay hidden from people, searching outside the sea would be difficult. If Sosik were wandering around elsewhere, I feel like he’d have already been found.
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Does he know that he shouldn’t be discovered by anyone other than us? Given how rarely he’s been outside our “home,” he might not.
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He didn’t follow someone blindly for food, did he?
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Anyway, as it’s getting light, the underwater search is done. I’ve been moving nonstop since late in the afternoon, so it’s time to rest. If I were human, this would be a labor law violation.
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I’ve been moving around the sea for a whole week without a single day off, working at least 12 hours a day. Now, whenever I see water, I feel its saltiness in my Jelly.
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My eyes don’t shed tears anymore, but it feels like they’re watering.
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“Good job today!”
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Despite feeling a little awkward when Yang Ha-na patted my body with a smile, it didn’t feel bad. In fact, after moving through the sea so much, I didn’t feel like moving anymore.
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Just as I was thinking about curling up in her arms for a nap, the moment happened.
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“Huh?”
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“Hm?”
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A loud noise echoed from somewhere. It sounded like a building collapsing, or maybe something exploding. The sound was distant, so it was hard to gauge, but judging by how it reached me, it must’ve been pretty big.
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Could another Singularity be appearing?
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As I felt an indescribable uneasiness, Yang Ha-na, sensing the tension, hugged me tightly.
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I stretched my Jelly to pat her back while staying alert.
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Whatever it was, it seemed something was definitely about to happen.
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“Huff… Huff…”
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Drenched in sweat, the man was crouched under his desk, breathing heavily.
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How did it come to this?
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He couldn’t comprehend it.
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‘Why isn’t that damn thing doing anything?’
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Isn’t it supposed to protect humans?
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Biting his nails, the man recalled what had happened earlier.
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That damn thing—Sosik. After observing him for a few days, they decided the time was right.
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Sosik was docile, never refusing to eat the given food and accepting touches or hugs from admirers without reacting. Though it was clear he found it annoying, his lack of hostility seemed characteristic.
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So the next step was testing.
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Since it wasn’t the main entity, its capabilities were unknown, so a controlled test in the Laboratory was necessary. Just throwing it into actual combat seemed reckless.
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“Uh… Are we really doing this?”
“Or are we not?”
“Well, maybe it’s better if we… don’t…?”
“How absurd. If they’re going to save us from Singularities, wouldn’t it make sense to test their power? Shouldn’t we confirm their abilities if they really possess the strength and goodwill you all boast about?”
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It was ridiculous. While they talked about Singularities protecting them, they hesitated to test that power.
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Do they even like it just because it’s cute?
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Shaking his head, the man prepared for the test. Though it may have been something he shouldn’t do, at the time, the man had a “let’s see what happens” attitude.
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Knowing the party probably searching for it was coming, it added to the urgency.
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Rationally, the best course would’ve been to wait for them to leave, but what if they figured out the derivative entity was here?
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Now that he already claimed it wasn’t here, that wasn’t an option. They couldn’t just say, “Oh, we didn’t know it was here until now!” when they’re supposed to have already left.
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Perhaps… the urge to hide the derivative entity was growing stronger within him. If it were ever revealed he had it secretly, receiving help in the future would be nearly impossible.
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Weighing the help of the derivative entity against the main entity, the choice was obvious—the main entity.
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Maybe… he wanted the little Jelly Girl to be crushed during the test. After all, without the main entity, all this fuss over a derivative was pointless.
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“We’ll begin.”
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“…”
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Thus, the test had to proceed. It might be more of an execution disguised as a test, but for now, it’s called a test.
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Soon, across the large glass pane, Sosik’s relaxed figure lying on the ground came into view. The researcher who placed Sosik down seemed uneasy, glancing back constantly and stumbling awkwardly.
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“If you’re not planning to die with him, get out quickly!”
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The man clicked his tongue as the researcher finally stumbled out.
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It was frustrating how they couldn’t seem to follow simple instructions. Perhaps these entities had a way of drawing humans in.
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As he mulled over it, he recalled reading a report that felt oddly familiar but shook it off and continued.
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“Bring in 1324-KR.”
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As he spoke lowly, the door opposite the small Jelly Girl slowly opened. With a creak, a towering silhouette, almost 2 meters tall, was dragged in, bound tightly.
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Its mouth dribbled saliva, and on its neck was a device injecting some kind of chemical.
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“Release him.”
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The moment the man muttered, the needle slowly slipped out of the creature’s neck, and after some time, it finally seemed to regain awareness, looking around.
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The man expected it to mercilessly charge at the Jelly Girl in the corner, but oddly, it just collapsed on the ground, showing an almost identical powerless demeanor.
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The man clicked his tongue in surprise.
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“Guess being doused with the drugs makes it understandable.”
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He remembered the trouble of isolating it and the cost of the drugs during the process.
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It would have been better if either of them had disappeared, as if his thoughts were read, the two Singularities ignored each other completely.
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The man patiently observed them for a while, but it seemed there wouldn’t be any progress without additional stimuli.
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“Isolate 1324-KR again.”
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“Phew… Alright.”
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As 1324-KR was re-injected with the drug, its body slumped, dribbling saliva from its mouth.
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Just then.
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As the door closed to re-isolate 1324-KR…
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The seemingly drugged creature suddenly sprang up, rushing through the door in a mad frenzy.
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“What?!”
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A pitiful scream echoed, followed by blaring alarms.
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The man felt as if someone had hit him with a hammer.
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What?
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Was it… fooling us this whole time?
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[1324-KR broke into another Singularity’s containment—AAAHHH! S, spare me—]
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The situation was spiraling out of control. The Laboratory, already understaffed, couldn’t handle the rampaging Singularity.
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The man, unable to escape, had no choice but to hide under the desk with the chairs surrounding it.
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Thud, thud.
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Hearing something approaching, the man held his breath. Reflecting on everything earlier, he felt haunted.
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Where did it all go wrong?
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He couldn’t figure it out.
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